2011 Rhone
2011 has yielded a larger, more normal harvest and a set of wines which will not fail to please. In point of fact they are closer in style to 2006 than 2008, having more energy and equilibrium than the latter. Stéphane Ogier describes the vintage as ‘gourmande’, ‘digeste’ and ‘séduisant’.
Vintage Assessment Northern Rhône
Michel Chapoutier is not alone in detecting similarities between 2011 and 1991. Both followed a brace of superlative vintages and both had rather uneven growing seasons, unusual even. Indeed 1991 took rather a long time to achieve its due recognition; hopefully the same will not apply to 2011, for all the sound and fury associated with its immediate forebears.
The vintage, in a nutshell, was hot, then cold, then hot again, a meteorological sandwich which defied normal weather patterns to the point of near inversion. Temperatures normally associated with July were experienced in both March and September, and vice versa. The early and admittedly highly satisfactory flowering presaged predictions of a very early harvest and ignited concern about an inherent imbalance between polyphenolic and physiological ripeness, but no sooner had the lacklustre mid-summer dispelled this fear, than anxiety focused on the dangers of rot, mildew (oidium) and other such disagreeable phenomena.
So there was triage and so there were treatments and then, recalling 2002 perhaps, there was abundant rainfall in the first week of September – abundant, but not torrential, and not especially long in duration. Thereafter followed a long anti-cyclonic period and the warm weather described above. It was warm enough, certainly, to exile any vestigial threats of disease and to ensure that the grapes ripened properly. It was ripe, certainly, but not too ripe; the cooler midsummer nights have added definition and pleasing freshness to the white wines.
Harvest dates were generally fairly ‘normal’, if such a word still has currency, and most of the fruit had been successfully picked by the end of the second week of September. Careful selection was required to undermine the vagaries of the uneven ripening, but the final crop was of a respectable size and the resultant grape juice achieved impressive analytical levels, careless of the season’s challenges.
Vintage Assessment Southern Rhône
The South does not recall 1991 with quite as much nostalgia as the North, so we shall restrict anecdotal comparisons to more recent vintages, although no-one seemed to agree on a specific vintage to highlight. The most nominated candidates were, in order: 2006, 1999, 2001 and 2004. To complicate the issue yet further, for Vincent Avril the wines have the tannins of the rather plush 2009 and the elegance of the underrated 2008 – therefore the best features of both.
Comparisons are perhaps odious after all, especially after such a heterogeneous and unpredictable season. Following pretty much the same weather patterns as further up-stream, 2011 started with a very hot and dry spring (the subsequent rainfall in July entirely beneficial) with any potential damage immediately banished by the Mistral wind.
It was only hereafter, when one has every right to expect decent weather, that things became more complicated. Indeed, it was the combination of further uninspiring conditions at the beginning of August and exceptionally warm conditions towards the end of that month, which engendered confusion and resulted in a rather uneven ripening. The late-season grapes such as Mourvèdre and Counoise tended to out-perform the earlier ripening varieties such as Syrah and Cinsault (some of which were shocked into a shut-down phase when the unexpected heat returned and did not have sufficient time to recover properly).
Grenache, after the blight of coulure in 2010, fared well. As a result, it makes up a larger percentage of the blends once again, triggering, as always, the seemingly circular debates about excessive alcohol levels and over-ripe wines. One cannot have it both ways; these wines have delightful, charming, sweet fruit and supple, approachable tannins. More quantity, less tannin; more approachable, less alcohol. These wines may be less immediately seductive to those for whom concentration is all but are certainly more attractive for the rest of us. In short, they are a pure delight.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Buyer
Prices:
Bottle
£27.30
Bottle 6 x 75cl2cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
The fruits of the labours of the eponymous Pape de Condrieu, now in the able hands of his daughter Christine and son-in-law Paul, continue to raise the bar for Viognier. Paul advises that the 2011 season was heterogène and tardive, before adding, with a twinkle in his eye, that he prefers later harvests. Complexity is engendered, and that famous mineral finish, re-defining any preconceived ideas that one may have had about Condrieu, is famous indeed this year.
Bottle
£27.95
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Domaine D’Ouréa are another new producer we have added to our list this year; the fruits, if you will pardon the mixed metaphor, of our bi-annual trawl through the rising (and falling) stars of the Valley in the aptly-named Découvertes series of wine fairs. Adrien Rousten does not lack for ambition and fortunately there is no shortage of skill here. He farms biodynamically and has well-located vines in both villages. He is certainly one to watch.
Bottle
£29.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl12cs
The soil here is a combination of stony red clay and blue marl, the former contributing considerable finesse, the latter power and depth of flavour. Eschewing destemming and any form of intervention in terms of ageing vessel, Adrien Roustan has coaxed a fruit basket of flavour from his old vines. Poised tannins and impressive length complete the picture.
Bottle
£29.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl10cs
Serge feels that the clue to Vacqueyras lies in finesse and that Syrah provides the answer here, rather than Mourvèdre which is very modish elsewhere. The wine is rich and savoury, with notes of violets and raspberry coulis, camphor and liquorice all dancing a very pleasing dance.
Bottle
£29.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl7cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
The adoption of new nomenclature, complete with smart new crested labels, runs deeper than skilful marketing, reflecting as it does the fact that the Perrins are more than merely an up-market négociant. The partnerships cultivated are far more than that and actual ownership now extends to an impressive three hundred hectares, each one afforded the same oraganic treatment as at Beaucastel itself. The increased emphasis on the villages of Vinsobres and, in particular, Gigondas, has helped to elevate the reputations of both greatly.
Bottle
£32.65
Yves’s top Grenache is only made in the best years, demonstrating his affection for 2011 which he praises for its purity and (relative) approachability. The latter quality is not immediately obvious such is the power and concentration that has been coaxed from these higher vines. The rewards of patience will be great indeed.
Bottle
£32.75
Bottle 12 x 75cl5cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Pierre-Jean’s decade as the régisseur at les Vins de Vienne, taking daily control of winemaking as the eminences grises Gaillard, Cuilleron and Villard supervised from a distance, has clearly rubbed off. His Seyssuel wine is outstanding and fantastically different from the Côte-Rôtie, underlining subtly differing terroir and the fact that the mighty Rhône separates the two enclaves.
Bottle
£32.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl15cs
Emmanuel’s holdings in “St Jo” are (it has to be said) modest; they comprise 70 metres squared inherited from father-in-law Bernard Faurie. Only 2,000 bottles are produced from these 30-year-old vines which are located on granitic slopes behind Mauves. The wine is full of bright, peppery fruit with crushed rock and bayleaf in support.
Bottle
£33.45
Bottle 12 x 75cl11cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Teamwork is the name of the game chez Maret, with Michel lending expertise to the vinification, Caroline demonstrating aptitude in all matters viticultural, Veronique developing commercial skill and Madame Maret (after whose Christian name I would not presume to enquire) being a very gifted talker. The wines are eloquent too; for Véronique 2011 was not a great year for Syrah. On the other hand Grenache, which dominates the blend, is perceived as a great success, eschewing the dangerously high alcohol levels of the warmer years in favour for something approaching The Golden Mean.
Bottle
£35.05
Bottle 6 x 75cl31cs
The 2011 is a classic Chateauneuf, with a dense colour and welcoming warming aromatics, Autumnal and redolent of long post-prandial walks in misty woodland. The palate adds savoury notes, with licorice, tapenade and Provencal herbs feeding the imagination.
Simon Field MW – Wine Buyer
Bottle
£35.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl12cs
Pierre describes the 2011 vintage as complicated, ironically as a result of the warm spring, which advanced the cycle so much that it set things out of kilter for the more normal temperatures at other times during the season. Nonetheless, he is satisfied with the results. He detects equilibrium, a ‘Golden Mean’ perhaps, which happily combines elegance and power, its higher acidity making these wines very food-friendly.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Bottle
£36.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl35cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Marie Giraud had deserved the recent flood of plaudits from the great and the good, including one rather influential commentator. With initial guidance from another larger than life character, oenologist Philippe Cambie, she has adopted a biodynamic approach across 18 hectares of vines, most of which are located to the east of the commune. In the early days I was anxious that extraction was concealing fruit quality; this is no longer the case.
Bottle
£36.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl27cs
Tom Cave, Cellar Plan Manager
From the named lieu-dit to the north of the named village, this is a worthy illustration of both the skill of the winemaker and the renaissance of Cornas in general. Herbal and rich, with hints of jambon cru and liqueur-steeped cherry, Les Eygats marries sweet and savoury, Carnival and Lent, with effortless aplomb.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Ferraton is owned by Chapoutier, but run as an autonomous entity. For a long time it seemed to underperform, almost as if shocked in the headlights of the energetic charisma of its benefactor. The potential of the vineyards, some of which are located on the very best sites on the Hill of Hermitage, has never been disputed. Now, with Bordelais winemaker Damien Brisset firmly in control, one begins to see, at last, the realisation of potential. I am pleased to have ‘stuck with’ them over the years, as the maturing vintages seldom fail to please and the quality of the current vintage gets better and better.
Bottle
£37.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl15cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Owning six hectares in Condrieu and three in Côte-Rôtie is impressive in such small and fragmented appellations, all the more so if they include plots in the lieux-dits of Chéry and La Vaillière respectively. Rémi has his father’s good looks and shares his dynamic approach to winemaking, with impressive results in 2011.
Bottle
£37.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl1cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Bottle
£38.75
Bottle 6 x 75cl2cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
The adoption of new nomenclature, complete with smart new crested labels, runs deeper than skilful marketing, reflecting as it does the fact that the Perrins are more than merely an up-market négociant. The partnerships cultivated are far more than that and actual ownership now extends to an impressive three hundred hectares, each one afforded the same oraganic treatment as at Beaucastel itself. The increased emphasis on the villages of Vinsobres and, in particular, Gigondas, has helped to elevate the reputations of both greatly.
Bottle
£39.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl4cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
The loquacious Didier Negron recognises that Grenache was plentiful in 2011, unlike the coulure-blighted 2010, but that it had to be treated with care. The juxtaposition of an impressive early flowering and a cool but dry mid-season has engendered a heterogeneous crop, rather like 2007, but in a minor key. Didier’s clever manipulation of differing sizes of container in order to undermine the oxidative nature of Grenache, has ensured the purity and definition of his wines. He is proving a most worthy successor to the great Jean-Jacques Sabon, his father-in-law, who died last year.
Bottle
£39.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl24cs
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager
This, the Gerin’s largest cuvée of Côte-Rôtie, summed up perfectly all the best of the vintage with a gloriously plump, dark fruit nose followed by firm fruit. A very refreshing, classic Northern Rhône for all occasions.
Tom Cave, Cellar Plan Manager
The reduction in the percentage of new barrique has been rewarded with more aromatic definition and greater purity en bouche. A blend from granitic Blonde and schistous Brune, with a single digit Viognier representation, this fantastic wine will age with ease for a decade and never fail to give pleasure.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Try as one might, it is impossible not to like Jean-Michel Gerin. In the early days I was so persistent going up to him every year at Ampuis, requesting UK exclusivity, that his dead-pan ‘non’ became something of an in-joke. When ‘non’ turned to ‘oui’, five or six years ago, a very successful partnership was initiated. His sons Mickael and Alexei are now a key part of the operation. 2011 was phenolically mature by the end of the first week of September, so they picked relatively early, and everyone is very pleased with the results.
Bottle
£39.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl26cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Now respected as one of St Joseph’s top three growers, the naturally diffident Jérôme has acquired new confidence, and the wines return the compliment. The pedigree of their birth, that is to say the best, most precipitous, site in St Jean de Muzols, Tournon and Mauves, is now underlined by a suitably prestigious education, which is far from sentimental. For Jérôme, 2010 captures the best of 2006 and 2007, both of which have grown up very nicely indeed.
Bottle
£39.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl25cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Owning six hectares in Condrieu and three in Côte-Rôtie is impressive in such small and fragmented appellations, all the more so if they include plots in the lieux-dits of Chéry and La Vaillière respectively. Rémi has his father’s good looks and shares his dynamic approach to winemaking, with impressive results in 2011.
Bottle
£39.95
Bottle 12 x 75cl1cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
The alliance of two of the greatest houses of the Rhône, Jaboulet and Perrin, with Nicolas Jaboulet as the master of ceremonies, has promise indeed, but promise is worth little if the raw materials (in this case the vineyards), are not from the top rank. We have little to fear on this count, especially when it comes to Hermitage itself where, unsurprisingly, the Jaboulet influence has been brought to bear with exceptional results.
Bottle
£42.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl2cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Energetic, dynamic and likeable, Yves Cuilleron is seen as the most influential and, at times, the most outspoken of the Northern Rhône producers. The completely rebuilt winery at Chavanay is testament to both his success and ambition; Yves’ skill lies in disseminating the minutiae of terroir (now, in my view, with even better results as the use of new wood has been relaxed a little). ‘Tendu’ seemed to be his most popular adjective used to describe the 2011s: ‘tight-knit, nervous, and with potential’ is my rather prosaic and, in all probability, not entirely accurate translation, a little close to a personification perhaps.
Bottle
£42.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl24cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Now respected as one of St Joseph’s top three growers, the naturally diffident Jérôme has acquired new confidence, and the wines return the compliment. The pedigree of their birth, that is to say the best, most precipitous, site in St Jean de Muzols, Tournon and Mauves, is now underlined by a suitably prestigious education, which is far from sentimental. For Jérôme, 2010 captures the best of 2006 and 2007, both of which have grown up very nicely indeed.
Bottle
£42.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl11cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Christophe and Fabrice Delorme did not take long to project this fine estate, named somewhat poetically after a woodcock, into the first division. Based in Tavel, theoretically rather unhelpfully as most activity takes place over on the other side of the Rhône river, the brothers make, as one would expect, delicious Rosé wine in addition to a very fine Lirac and a Châteauneuf-du-Pape which combines the best virtues of modernity and tradition. 2011 was especially successful for them; they attribute the high natural sugar levels to biodynamic viticulture.
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl16cs
In top years, such as this, when Rose Pourpre is made, the generic Côte-Rôtie tends to come from vineyards of a more Blonde persuasion, its 10 percent Viognier lending high-toned aromatic harmony to the ensemble. The palate is creamy and rich, with ripe raspberry and cassis, and its style is modern but seductive.
Bottle
£45.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl24cs
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager
Aromatic nose, black and blue fruit dominate with a delicate white blossom and lavender notes gently balancing the depth of fruit characters. Made from 13 Syrah parcels, it is utterly charming. The balance is exquisite and the restrain and precision of purity make it a marvel. A debutante wine, knowing just the right amount of style, charm and character to leave us wanting to get to know it better. A very fine wine with jasmine and blossom on the finish.
Laura Atkinson, Private Account Manager
Rene de-stemmed 50% of the Ampodium crop in 2011. The fruit is traditionally sourced from 13 different lieux-dits. There is no Viognier, but the wine is aromatically attractive with gentle aromas of wood spice and violet. A satisfying mouth-feel follows, with pleasingly orchestrated tension between crisp acidity and finely etched tannins.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
The urbane Ren Rostaing has an aphoristic turn of phrase; he quotes Pliny the Younger for example, when reminding us that le vin du Viennois a lodour de violette. He then throws in the enigmatic phrase, le Viognier Cte Rtie est plus lgende que ralit: a subject for debate at the next Northern Rhne symposium perhaps? He can be somewhat unpredictable, eschewing new wood, yet using industrial-looking roto-fermentors. One thing is for sure; he is not too keen on the apparently facile division of Cte-Rtie into mere Brune and Blonde; it is far more complex than that.
Bottle
£48.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle
£48.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl3cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
To have two famous Usseglios in a small village just north of Avignon, both making sublime red and white wines, may seem a rather strange. They share of course, the same Italian scion, and now thanks to the great advances made here by Stéphane, son of Raimond, also share a similar reputation. Indeed if the scoring system of he who shall remain nameless is to be believed, this branch of the family now appears to be marginally in the ascendant.
Bottle
£48.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl1cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Les Vins de Vienne has almost out-grown their progenitors, in the sense that their négociant arm is now far more significant than that of Messrs Cuilleron, Villard and Gaillard. If the move from the precipitous and chaotic Seyssuel winery has taken a little romance from the project, the brilliant winemaking of Pascal Lombard has ensured an increase in quality and the forging of a distinct identity, important in what may once have been conceived as a somewhat amorphous project.
Bottle
£48.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl5cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Pierre-Jean’s decade as the régisseur at les Vins de Vienne, taking daily control of winemaking as the eminences grises Gaillard, Cuilleron and Villard supervised from a distance, has clearly rubbed off. His Seyssuel wine is outstanding and fantastically different from the Côte-Rôtie, underlining subtly differing terroir and the fact that the mighty Rhône separates the two enclaves.
Bottle
£49.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl4cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Les Vins de Vienne has almost out-grown their progenitors, in the sense that their négociant arm is now far more significant than that of Messrs Cuilleron, Villard and Gaillard. If the move from the precipitous and chaotic Seyssuel winery has taken a little romance from the project, the brilliant winemaking of Pascal Lombard has ensured an increase in quality and the forging of a distinct identity, important in what may once have been conceived as a somewhat amorphous project.